District of Kansas
Press releases recorded for this federal judicial district.
Federal Indictment: Topeka Man Fired Gun During RobberyRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment Wednesday charging a Topeka man with a robbery in which he is alleged to have fired a gun, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Audley M. Crable, 28, Topeka, Kan., is charged with one count of commercial robbery and one count of discharging a firearm in furtherance of the robbery. The indictment alleges that on Nov. 19, 2011, Crable discharged a gun while he robbed Mo’s Express at 810 Southeast 15th in Topeka, severely injuring two employees.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the robbery charge, and a consecutive sentence of not less than 10 years on the firearms charge, and a fine up to $250,000 on both charges. The FBI and the Topeka Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting.
OTHER GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS
Luis Antonio Aguilera Martinez, 22, who is in custody, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Nov. 1, 2016, in Coffey County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces up 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard is prosecuting.
Kevin Martin, 35, who is in custody at the Wyandotte County Detention Center, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred Nov. 5, 2016, in Wyandotte County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon Patton is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Owner of Aerospace Company Pleads Guilty to Filing False Tax ReturnRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. - The owner of a Wichita-based aerospace company pleaded guilty Monday to filing a false federal tax return, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
John J. O’Neill, 62, Wichita, Kan., president of Omni Aerospace, Inc., pleaded guilty to one count of making a false statement on a federal tax return. In his plea, he admitted he filed a return seeking s special depreciation allowance of more than $2.7 million to which he was not entitled.
The judge will determine at sentencing how much O’Neill owes in taxes. Sentencing is set for Jan. 17, 2017. He faces a penalty of up to three years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000.
Beall commended the Internal Revenue Service and U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger for their work on the case.
U.S. Attorney StatementRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – U. S. Attorney Tom Beall made the following statement:
Based on information known to the U.S. Attorney’s Office we have closed our inquiry into the Oct. 29, 2011, explosion of a grain elevator at 324 Riverfront Road in Atchison, Kan. We have determined there is not sufficient evidence to support criminal charges against the owner, Bartlett Grain Company. This announcement does not dismiss pending enforcement actions by the Occupational Safety and Health Administration.
Second Wichita Man Sentenced for Armed Robbery at Park City Liquor StoreRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita man was sentenced Thursday to 138 months in federal prison for attempting to rob a Park City liquor store, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Roland D. Ross, 28, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of brandishing a firearm during a commercial robbery. In his plea, he admitted that on May 24, 2016, he and a co-defendant, Michael Ray Phillips, both brandished firearms when they tried to rob the MGS Liquor Store at 6200 North Broadway in Park City.
An employee of the store produced a firearm and fired two rounds at the robbers. Ross surrendered and the store employee held him at gunpoint until police arrived.
Phillips was struck in the chest by the employee’s shots. Although he was injured, he fled the store before police arrived. He was arrested later when he sought treatment for the gunshot wound at a hospital in Kansas City. Phillips was sentenced earlier this month to seven years.
Beall commended the Park City Police Department, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated and Assistant. U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch for their work on the case.
Jury Convicts Wichita Man on Federal Drug, Gun ChargesRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A jury today convicted a Wichita man on federal drug and firearm charges, U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Jesus Reyes, 42, Wichita, was convicted on one count of possession of with intent to distribute methamphetamine and two counts of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction.
During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that Wichita police stopped Reyes May 20, 2015, near 11th and Perry for a traffic violation. They found two loaded firearms and two plastic bags containing methamphetamine in the car. He was prohibited from possessing firearms due to a prior felony conviction.
Sentencing is set for Jan. 30. He faces a maximum penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $1 million on the drug charge, and a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each of the firearm charges. Beall commended the Wichita Police Department, Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Rodebaugh and Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs for their work on the case.
Indictment: Traffic Stop in Kansas Uncovered 117 Pounds of CocaineRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – Two people were indicted Tuesday on federal charges they had 117 pounds of cocaine hidden in their car when they were stopped for a traffic violation in Wabaunsee County, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Marco Antonio Aispuro, 48, and Maria Janeth Moreno-Cento, 39, were charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine. In addition, Moreno-Centeno was charged with one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported.
Documents filed in the case allege Moreno-Centro was driving and Aispuro was in the passenger seat on Oct. 21, 2016, when the Kansas Highway Patrol pulled them over on I-70 eastbound near mile marker 333 in Wabaunsee County. Troopers found 117 pounds of cocaine in the driver’s side rear quarter panel and the spare tire.
Upon conviction, the drug charge carries a penalty of not less than 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $10 million. The immigration charge carries a penalty up to two years and a fine up to $250,000. The Kansas Highway Patrol and the Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Skip Jacobs is prosecuting.
OTHER GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS
Osmar A. Marroquin, 42, a citizen of Guatemala, is charged with one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Oct. 24, 2016, in Butler County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a penalty up to two years and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
Gonzalo Montoya-Perez, 45, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with one count of unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Oct. 27, 2016, in Reno County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a penalty up to two years and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Wichita Man Sentenced for Armed Robbery at Park City Liquor StoreRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita man who was shot while attempting to rob a Park City liquor store was sentenced Monday to seven years in federal prison, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Michael Ray Phillips, 37, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of brandishing a firearm during a commercial robbery. In his plea, he admitted that on May 24, 2016, he and a co-defendant both brandished firearms when they tried to rob MGS Liquor Store at 6200 North Broadway in Park City.
An employee of the store produced a firearm and fired two rounds at the robbers, striking Phillips in the chest. Although he was injured, Phillips fled the store before police arrived. The employee of the store held the other robber at gunpoint until police responded. Phillips was arrested later when he sought treatment for the gunshot wound at a hospital in Kansas City.
Co-defendant Roland Donell Ross is set for sentencing Nov. 10.
Beall commended the Park City Police Department, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated and Assistant. U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch for their work on the case.
Topeka Man Sentenced for Armed Robbery with Twin BrotherRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A Topeka man was sentenced Monday to 43 months in federal prison for helping his twin brother rob a payday lender’s store, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Lamar Ray Steele, 26, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of aiding and abetting a commercial robbery. In his plea, he admitted he was the driver in a June 4, 2014, robbery at Check Into Cash at 3711 S.W. Plaza Drive in Topeka. He waited in the car while his twin brother went into the store brandishing a firearm. The brothers fled after the robbery.
Co-defendant Charles Lamar Steele, 26, Topeka, is set for sentencing Dec. 12. Co-defendant Zennie Lee Vasser, 33, Topeka, Kan., was sentenced to 43 months in federal prison.
Beall commended the Topeka Police Department, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag for their work on the case.
Topeka Man Pleads Guilty to Conspiracy in Interstate Sex Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. - A Topeka man pleaded guilty Monday to conspiring to operate an interstate sex trafficking business, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Barry M. Johnson, 40, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy. In his plea, he admitted conspiring with co-defendants to run a Topeka-based prostitution business that operated in Kansas, Missouri and Nebraska. At times, as many as 20 females were working as prostitutes for the organization. The leader of the organization rented houses where some of the prostitutes were allowed to live. The organization used Web sites, social media and cell phones to advertise sexual services and to keep track of prostitutes.
Johnson admitted he recruited and groomed potential sex workers for the organization. Johnson would notify the leader of the conspiracy he had a female who was ready to work and they would negotiate how much he would be paid.
Sentencing is set for Feb. 6. Both parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of 46 months in federal prison.
Co-defendant Frank Boswell, 42, Topeka, Kan., and Michaela Hekekia, 36, Topeka, are set for trial Jan. 3. Co-defendants Rachel Flenniken, 34, Topeka, Kan., and Sean P. Hall, 47, Topeka, Kan., are awaiting sentencing. Shannon Nelson, 23, Topeka, Kan., is set for sentencing Jan. 23.
Beall commended the Topeka Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Christine Kenney for their work on the case.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Former Prison Guard Pleads Guilty to Taking Bribes from InmatesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A former federal prison guard pleaded guilty Monday to taking bribes to smuggle tobacco to inmates, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Marc Buckner, 47, Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of a public official accepting bribes. In his plea, he admitted the crimes occurred while he worked as a guard at Leavenworth Penitentiary. Buckner said he was paid each time he smuggled tobacco into the prison. He hid tobacco and rolling papers in two handmade insoles in his shoes.
Inmates paid Buckner $750 for each can of Bugler brand tobacco and rolling papers he smuggled. He said he smuggled tobacco once or twice a month for years.
Sentencing will be set for a later date. He faces a penalty of up to 15 years in federal prison. Beall commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble for their work on the case.
Drug Trafficker Sentenced to Life Plus 30 YearsRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A Kansas City, Kan., man has been sentenced to life plus 30 years in federal prison for coordinating drug shipments for a trafficking organization that distributed more than $39 million worth of methamphetamine and marijuana in the metro area, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Vicencio Olea-Monarez, 38, Kansas City, Kan., was convicted in a jury trial on 21 counts including conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine and marijuana, distribution and possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, maintaining a residence in furtherance of drug trafficking and unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking.
During trial, prosecutors presented evidence that the FBI began an investigation in July 2012 into a drug trafficking ring operating in Kansas City, Kan. Olea-Monarez was responsible for coordinating shipments of methamphetamine into Kansas City, Kan. He also trafficked in cocaine and marijuana.
Counting Olea-Monarez, six of 10 defendants in the case have been sentenced so far.
Beall commended the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Zabel for their work on the case.
Wichita Man Pleads Guilty to Federal Sex Trafficking ChargesRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. - A Wichita man pleaded guilty Thursday to federal sex trafficking charges, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Gerald L. Brown, Jr., 30, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of sex trafficking of a minor and one count of sex trafficking of an adult by force.
In his plea, he admitted that in June 2015 he recruited a 17-year-old girl to engage in sex acts advertised on an adult Web site. He transported her from Kansas to Oklahoma and Texas to engage in prostitution. In July 2015 he and the girl were stopped for a traffic violation and the girl was taken into state custody.
Brown returned to Kansas, where he recruited an adult female to engage in prostitution. He threatened to strike her and use violent force to coerce her to cooperate in prostitution.
Sentencing is set for Jan. 26. Both parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of 180 months in federal prison. Beall commended the Wichita Police Department and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.
Wichita Man Charged in Armed Robbery at Convenience StoreRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita man was charged in federal court here Thursday with an armed robbery at a convenience store on the west side of the city, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Quincy D. Hadley, 36, Wichita, is charged with one count of robbing a commercial business, one count of brandishing a firearm during the robbery and one count of unlawfully possessing a firearm following a felony conviction.
A criminal complaint filed in the case alleges Hadley was wearing a ski mask and brandishing a .40 caliber High Point pistol when he entered the Presto Circle K at 4414 W. Maple in Wichita and pointed a gun at the clerk. After demanding and receiving cash he said he wanted cigarettes. When the clerk gave him bargain cigarettes he said he wanted name brand cigarettes. After receiving cartons of Marlboro and Camel cigarettes, he fled the store.
An officer responding to the 911 call found him changing clothes in a parked car and arrested him. When police asked why he was partly unclothed, he said he was watching pornography on his phone.
If convicted he faces a penalty of up to 20 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the robbery count, not less than seven years and a fine up to $250,000 on the brandishing charge, and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the other count. The Wichita Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Indictment: Leavenworth County Man Produced Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment Wednesday charging a Leavenworth County man with producing child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Bradley Hilt, 25, Linwood, Kan., is charged with two counts of producing child pornography, one count of distributing child pornography and one count of possessing child pornography. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in 2014 and 2016. The indictment alleges Hilt produced child pornography by enticing a minor and taking pictures with a Nokia Lumina cell phone. He is alleged to have distributed child pornography images over the Internet using a file sharing program.
If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 15 years and not more than 30 years in federal prison on each count of production, not less than five years and not more than 10 years on the distribution count, and up to 10 years on the possession count. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Flannigan is prosecuting.
OTHER GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS
Elsa Hernandez-De Duran, 43, Fort Worth, Texas, is charged with conspiring to commit money laundering (count one), money laundering (count two) and smuggling bulk cash (count three). The crimes are alleged to have occurred during June 2015 to July 2016 in Johnson County, Kan.
If convicted, she faces up to 20 years and a fine up to $500,000 on each of counts one and two, and up to five years and a fine up to $250,000 on count three. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Catania is prosecuting.
Derrick Horne, 26, Kansas City, Mo, is charged with one count of enticing a person to cross state lines to engage in prosecution and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Oct. 15, 2016, in Wyandotte County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the prostitution charge and up 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the firearm charge. The FBI, the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department, the Kansas City, Mo., Police Department, the Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Department and the Overland Park Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Trent Krug is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Arkansas Man Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements About Plan to Steal Rice SeedsRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Wengui Yan, 61, of Stuttgart, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to the FBI while working as a geneticist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture at the Dale Bumpers National Research Center in Stuttgart.
Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Mary B. McCord and Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall of the District for Kansas made the announcement.
Yan, a scientist who worked with rice, admitted Monday that he knew about plans to steal samples and send them to China.
In his plea, Yan admitted that on Aug. 7, 2013, agents of U.S. Customs and Border Protection found stolen seeds in the luggage of a group of visitors from China preparing to board a plane to return home. The group had visited the facility in Stuttgart. Yan admitted that before the Chinese group arrived, a co-defendant in Kansas had asked him for seeds and Yan had declined because the seeds were protected. The co-defendant told Yan about other individuals seeking to steal samples of the seeds. When the delegation came to Stuttgart, Yan traveled with them to a rice farm where he knew they would have an opportunity to steal seeds.
After the theft, Yan denied knowing about the plans to steal the seeds or about the theft itself. Investigators also learned that Yan attempted to cover up a trip he made to China to visit the crops research institute that sent the delegation to the United States.
Sentencing will be set for a later date. Under the plea agreement, Yan faces a penalty of up to 20 months in federal prison.
Co-defendant Weiqiang Zhang, 50, of Manhattan, Kansas, is awaiting trial.
Acting Assistant Attorney General McCord and Acting U.S. Attorney Beall commended the FBI’s Little Rock and Kansas City Field Offices, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
McCord and Beall also commended Trial Attorney Matt Walczewski for the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, Trial Attorneys Brian Resler and Evan Williams for the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask of the District of Kansas for their work on the case.
Arkansas Man Pleads Guilty to Making False Statements About Plan to Steal Rice SeedsRead the Press Release
Wengui Yan, 61, of Stuttgart, Arkansas, pleaded guilty to one count of making false statements to the FBI while working as a geneticist for the U.S. Department of Agriculture at the Dale Bumpers National Research Center in Stuttgart.
Acting Assistant Attorney General for National Security Mary B. McCord and Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall of the District for Kansas made the announcement.
Yan, a scientist who worked with rice, admitted Monday that he knew about plans to steal samples and send them to China.
In his plea, Yan admitted that on Aug. 7, 2013, agents of U.S. Customs and Border Protection found stolen seeds in the luggage of a group of visitors from China preparing to board a plane to return home. The group had visited the facility in Stuttgart. Yan admitted that before the Chinese group arrived, a co-defendant in Kansas had asked him for seeds and Yan had declined because the seeds were protected. The co-defendant told Yan about other individuals seeking to steal samples of the seeds. When the delegation came to Stuttgart, Yan traveled with them to a rice farm where he knew they would have an opportunity to steal seeds.
After the theft, Yan denied knowing about the plans to steal the seeds or about the theft itself. Investigators also learned that Yan attempted to cover up a trip he made to China to visit the crops research institute that sent the delegation to the United States.
Sentencing will be set for a later date. Under the plea agreement, Yan faces a penalty of up to 20 months in federal prison.
Co-defendant Weiqiang Zhang, 50, of Manhattan, Kansas, is awaiting trial.
Acting Assistant Attorney General McCord and Acting U.S. Attorney Beall commended the FBI’s Little Rock and Kansas City Field Offices, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the Eastern District of Arkansas.
McCord and Beall also commended Trial Attorney Matt Walczewski for the National Security Division’s Counterintelligence and Export Control Section, Trial Attorneys Brian Resler and Evan Williams for the Criminal Division’s Computer Crime and Intellectual Property Section and Assistant U.S. Attorney Scott Rask of the District of Kansas for their work on the case.
Lenexa Man Sentenced for Impersonating IRS EmployeeRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Lenexa man was sentenced Tuesday to five months he already served in jail for harassing former girlfriends and business partners by sending them letters on Internal Revenue Service letterhead saying they were under investigation for tax evasion, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Jeffrey Nickerson, 56, Lenexa, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of impersonating a federal employee. In his plea, Nickerson admitted he was an acquaintance of a woman who worked at the IRS Service Center in Kansas City, Mo. She brought IRS letterhead and IRS publications home. He used the information to send letters to former girlfriends and former business partners. The letters said the victims were under investigation as a result of reports being filed to the Internal Revenue Service Fraud Investigations Hotline.
Beall commended the U.S. Treasury Inspector General for Tax Administration and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley for their work on the case.
Geary County Man Pleads Guilty in Kidnapping, Death of Junction City WomanRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A Geary County man pleaded guilty today to taking part in the kidnapping of a Junction City woman who was killed during the abduction, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Drexel A. Woody, 26, who lived on Fort Riley at the time of the crime, pleaded guilty to one count of kidnapping resulting in death. The body of Amanda Clemons, 24, of Junction City, was found in February 2014 in Geary County, Kan.
In Woody’s plea, he admitted that on Feb. 7, 2014, he and his co-defendants met the victim, who was a prostitute, at a hotel in Junction City and kidnapped her. The defendants beat the victim in retribution for comments she had made on social media. During the beating, the defendants demanded the victim pay $300. They took the victim to another hotel room in an unsuccessful attempt to get the money, after which they transported her to Woody’s residence on Fort Riley.
While at Woody’s residence, the defendants allowed the victim to call her young son and her mother. The victim’s mother realized the victim was in danger and called Junction City Police. When police called the victim’s number to check on her, and the defendants listened to the call on speaker phone. Fearing arrest, the defendants transported the victim to a bridge in a remote part of Geary County, where they resumed the beating and attacked her with a knife. The victim broke free and jumped off the bridge, falling 15 feet and breaking her ankle. The defendants found the victim in the snow and resumed the assault during which they cut her throat and killed her.
Woody is set for sentencing Jan. 30. He faces a penalty of up to life in federal prison.
Co-defendants who are awaiting trial include:
Larry L. Anderson, 27, Manhattan, Kan.
Marryssa M. Middleton, 25, Fort Riley, Kan.
Shantrell D. Woody, 27, Fort Riley, Kan., formerly an active duty service member.
Christopher Pugh, 32, Junction City, Kan.
Beall commended the Junction City Police Department, the Grandview Plaza Police Department, the Geary County Sheriff’s Office, the Riley County Police Department, the Fort Riley Criminal Investigation Division, the FBI, Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi, Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag and Geary County Attorney Steven Opat for their work on the case.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Fifty-seven Pounds of Meth Earns Driver 10 Years in Federal PrisonRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A man from Washington state was sentenced Monday to 10 years in federal prison for drug trafficking in Kansas, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Hector M. Birrueta, 32, Pasco, Wash., pleaded guilty to one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. Law enforcement officers found 57 pounds of methamphetamine in his car when they stopped him Oct. 17, 2015, on I-70 Ellis County, Kan.
Beall commended the Drug Enforcement and Assistant U.S. Attorney Michelle Jacobs for their work on the case.
Best Choice Home Health Care Agency Inc. Agrees to Pay $1.8 MillionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Best Choice Home Health Care Agency Inc. (Best Choice) and its owner, Reginald King, have agreed to pay $1.8 million to resolve allegations that Best Choice and King violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks for the referral of Medicaid-covered patients for home and community-based healthcare services from Best Choice. Best Choice is a home healthcare services provider based in Kansas City, Kansas. King is the owner and operator of Best Choice.
“The department will continue to hold accountable entities and individuals that engage in illegal kickback schemes for the referral of patients,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “It is critically important that we protect the integrity of government health care programs by ensuring that services are provided based on clinical considerations rather than the financial interests of those who refer patients for care.”
This settlement resolves allegations that from July 1, 2010, through Dec. 31, 2014, Best Choice submitted claims for home and community-based healthcare services to Medicaid that resulted from a kickback arrangement between King, on behalf of Best Choice and Christopher Thomas, who transported patients from their homes to healthcare facilities in Kansas City. Specifically, under this alleged arrangement, King paid Thomas $58,000 in kickbacks for new patients referred to Best Choice based on a formula which accounted for each hour of service that Best Choice billed to Medicaid.
“Fraud and abuse in Medicaid add costs without adding any value,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall for the District of Kansas. “We fight fraud to help make health care more available and more affordable.”
The Medicaid Program is a jointly-funded federal and state program. Of the $1.8 million that King and Best Choice will pay under the settlement, the United States will receive $1,011,780 and the state of Kansas will receive $788,220.
The settlement resolves allegations originally brought under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act by Thomas, the recipient of the alleged kickbacks. The act permits private parties to sue on behalf of the United States for false claims for government funds and to receive a share of any recovery. The whistleblower reward in this case will be $43,178 which represents 10 percent of the federal share of the settlement, minus the amount that the relator received in kickbacks during the duration of the scheme.
The settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud and marks another achievement for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announced in May 2009 by the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The partnership between the two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Since January 2009, the Justice Department has recovered a total of more than $31.6 billion through False Claims Act cases, with more than $19.2 billion of that amount recovered in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs.
This matter was handled by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Kansas Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. The qui tam case is docketed as United States ex rel. Thomas v. Best Choice Home Health Care Agency, Inc., and Reginald King, No. 1:13-cv-2209 (D. Kan.).
Best Choice Home Health Care Agency Inc. Agrees to Pay $1.8 MillionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – Best Choice Home Health Care Agency Inc. (Best Choice) and its owner, Reginald King, have agreed to pay $1.8 million to resolve allegations that Best Choice and King violated the False Claims Act by paying kickbacks for the referral of Medicaid-covered patients for home and community-based healthcare services from Best Choice. Best Choice is a home healthcare services provider based in Kansas City, Kansas. King is the owner and operator of Best Choice.
“The department will continue to hold accountable entities and individuals that engage in illegal kickback schemes for the referral of patients,” said Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Benjamin C. Mizer, head of the Justice Department’s Civil Division. “It is critically important that we protect the integrity of government health care programs by ensuring that services are provided based on clinical considerations rather than the financial interests of those who refer patients for care.”
This settlement resolves allegations that from July 1, 2010, through Dec. 31, 2014, Best Choice submitted claims for home and community-based healthcare services to Medicaid that resulted from a kickback arrangement between King, on behalf of Best Choice and Christopher Thomas, who transported patients from their homes to healthcare facilities in Kansas City. Specifically, under this alleged arrangement, King paid Thomas $58,000 in kickbacks for new patients referred to Best Choice based on a formula which accounted for each hour of service that Best Choice billed to Medicaid.
“Fraud and abuse in Medicaid add costs without adding any value,” said Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall for the District of Kansas. “We fight fraud to help make health care more available and more affordable.”
The Medicaid Program is a jointly-funded federal and state program. Of the $1.8 million that King and Best Choice will pay under the settlement, the United States will receive $1,011,780 and the state of Kansas will receive $788,220.
The settlement resolves allegations originally brought under the qui tam, or whistleblower, provisions of the False Claims Act by Thomas, the recipient of the alleged kickbacks. The act permits private parties to sue on behalf of the United States for false claims for government funds and to receive a share of any recovery. The whistleblower reward in this case will be $43,178 which represents 10 percent of the federal share of the settlement, minus the amount that the relator received in kickbacks during the duration of the scheme.
The settlement illustrates the government’s emphasis on combating health care fraud and marks another achievement for the Health Care Fraud Prevention and Enforcement Action Team (HEAT) initiative, which was announced in May 2009 by the Attorney General and the Secretary of Health and Human Services. The partnership between the two departments has focused efforts to reduce and prevent Medicare and Medicaid financial fraud through enhanced cooperation. One of the most powerful tools in this effort is the False Claims Act. Since January 2009, the Justice Department has recovered a total of more than $31.6 billion through False Claims Act cases, with more than $19.2 billion of that amount recovered in cases involving fraud against federal health care programs.
This matter was handled by the Civil Division’s Commercial Litigation Branch, the U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas, the Department of Health and Human Services Office of Inspector General and the Kansas Medicaid Fraud Control Unit.
The claims resolved by this settlement are allegations only, and there has been no determination of liability. The qui tam case is docketed as United States ex rel. Thomas v. Best Choice Home Health Care Agency, Inc., and Reginald King, No. 1:13-cv-2209 (D. Kan.).
U.S. Attorney’s Office to Monitor Election Complaints in KansasRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. - A federal prosecutor will be on duty during election day to respond to complaints of possible election fraud and voting rights violations in Kansas, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said today.
Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon Patton will be available to the public at 913-551-6730 while the polls are open on Nov. 8.
“Every citizen must be able to vote without interference or discrimination and to have that vote counted without it being stolen because of fraud,” Beall said. “We will act promptly and aggressively to protect the integrity of the election process.”
Beall said he does not expect any problems during the voting. He noted, however, that there are penalties under federal law for any efforts to fraudulently influence the outcome of the election or to improperly prevent another person from exercising the right to vote.
Patton will join other federal prosecutors nationwide as part of the Justice Department’s election-day monitoring program. They will work in consultation with Justice Department headquarters.
The FBI’s Kansas City Field Office will also have Special Agents available to receive allegations of election fraud, intimidation, suppression, and other election abuses. The public can provide information regarding possible election crimes to the FBI’s Kansas City Field Office’s toll-free hotline, 1-855-527-2847, or email [email protected].
Citizen complaints about possible violations of the federal voting rights laws can be made directly to the Civil Rights Division’s Voting Section in Washington by phone at 1-800-253-3931 or 202-307-2767, by fax at 202-307-3961, by email to [email protected], or by complaint form at http://www.justice.gov/crt/complaint/votintake/index.php .
Any questions involving state or local issues may be referred to the Elections Division of the Kansas Secretary of State’s Office at 1-800-262-8683, or to the pertinent county election office.
Kansas Business Owner Sentenced to Prison for Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
WASHINGTON – A Leawood, Kansas business owner was sentenced yesterday to 51 months in prison after being convicted of tax evasion following a five-week jury trial in April announced Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Caroline D. Ciraolo, head of the Justice Department’s Tax Division and Acting U.S. Attorney Thomas Beall of the District of Kansas.
According to the evidence at trial, Kathleen M. Stegman, 58, owned and operated Midwest Medical Aesthetics (Midwest). During the years 2006 through 2010, Stegman concealed cash receipts, diverted hundreds of thousands of dollars from Midwest for her personal use, created and used an entity to falsify business expenses and hide Midwest customer checks and falsely claimed as business expenses a mortgage payment on an investment property, the cost of an invisible dog fence, residential gas and electricity bills, Mercedes Benz lease payments and an investment in a deck coating product. The government also presented evidence that Stegman used the money she diverted from Midwest to fund a lavish lifestyle, including the purchase of condominiums in Las Vegas, over $300,000 in gold coins, a 54-foot yacht and real estate in North Carolina.
The evidence presented also established that Stegman caused an employee to destroy business records during a civil tax audit, provided the Internal Revenue Service (IRS) with false and altered documents and attempted to tamper with a witness’s statement to criminal investigators.
In addition to the prison term, U.S. District Judge Julie Robinson ordered Stegman to pay restitution to the IRS in the amount of $68,733 as a condition of supervised release and a fine in the amount of $100,000.
Principal Deputy Assistant Attorney General Ciraolo commended special agents of IRS-Criminal Investigation, who conducted the investigation and Trial Attorneys Ryan R. Raybould and John T. Mulcahy of the Tax Division and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari B. Wamble of the District of Kansas, who prosecuted the case.
Additional information about the Tax Division and its enforcement efforts may be found on the division’s website.
Grand Jury Returns Indictment in Garden City Bomb Plot CaseRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment here Wednesday charging three southwest Kansas men with conspiring to detonate a bomb at an apartment complex in Garden City where Muslim immigrants from Somalia live and worship, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
The indictment was based on the same facts presented in an Oct.14 criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Wichita alleging the men conducted surveillance to size up potential targets, stockpiled firearms, ammunition and explosive components, and prepared a manifesto to be published after the bombing.
Charged with one count of conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction were:
Curtis Allen, 49, Liberal, Kan.
Gavin Wright, 49, Liberal, Kan., owner of G & H Mobile Home Center at 1250 E. Tucker Road in Liberal.
Patrick Eugene Stein, 51, Wright, Kan.
If convicted, the defendants face up to life in federal prison. Investigating agencies included the FBI, the Liberal Police Department, the Seward County Sheriff’s Office, the Ford County Sheriff’s Office, the Garden City Police Department, the Dodge City Police Department, the Finney County Sheriff’s Office, and Kansas Highway Patrol, and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi and Trial Attorney David Cora of the Justice Department’s Counterterrorism Section are prosecuting.
OTHER GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS
Garret Sims, 29, Topeka, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Aug. 24, 2016, in Topeka.
Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:
Unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction: Up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.
Possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine: Up to 20 years and a fine up to $2 million.
Unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking: Not less than five years and a fine up to $250,000.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard is prosecuting.
Joseph D. Carrier, 37, Topeka, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction and one count of unlawful possession of a stolen firearm. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Aug. 25, 2016, in Topeka.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard is prosecuting.
Charles James Filkins, Jr., 33, Berryton, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred Aug. 28, 2016, in Topeka.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard is prosecuting.
Brandon Lee Morris, 22, Topeka, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm with an obliterated serial number. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Aug. 13, 2016, in Topeka.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the first count and up to five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the second count. The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard is prosecuting.
Jordan W. Mayfield, 22, Golden, Colo., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute cocaine and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Aug. 21, 2016, in Topeka.
Upon conviction, the crimes carry the following penalties:
Possession with intent to distribute cocaine: Up to 20 years and a fine up to $20 million.
Unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking: Not less than five years and a fine up to $250,000.
Unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction: Up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000.
The Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Duston Slinkard is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Florida Man Sentenced for Wichita Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. - A Florida man was sentenced Wednesday to 46 months in federal prison for robbing a Wichita bank, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Antonio Adam Smiley, 30, Zephyrhills, Fla., pleaded guilty to one count of bank robbery. He admitted that on Nov. 18, 2015, he robbed the Emprise Bank branch at 2323 S. Hydraulic. He fled the bank with the money and left Wichita. He was identified from surveillance photos and arrested Nov. 23, 2015, in Zephyrhills, Fla.
Beall commended the Wichita Police Department, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.
Wichita Man Charged with Sex Trafficking of 17-Year-OldRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita man was charged Tuesday in federal court here with the sex trafficking of a 17-year-old girl, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
John H. Dickerson, 34, Wichita, Kan., was charged with one count of the sex trafficking of a minor and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction.
A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Wichita alleges the case grew out of a human-trafficking enforcement operation conducted by the FBI and the Wichita Police Department. On Saturday, Oct. 15, a detective answered an advertisement on an adult services Web site. He arranged to meet a sex worker at a hotel in Wichita and to pay $200 for an hour of sex.
Dickerson dropped off a 17-year-old girl at the detective’s room. The girl and Dickerson were taken into custody. Investigators learned that that Dickerson had been paid several times to take the girl to meet customers.
If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the trafficking charge, and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the firearm charge.
The Wichita Police Department, the FBI and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting.
Topeka Man Sentenced for Conspiracy in Fort Riley Bomb PlotRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A Topeka man was sentenced Tuesday to 15 months in federal prison for conspiring with another man who devised a plot to detonate a vehicle bomb at Fort Riley military base near Manhattan, Kan., Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall announced today.
Alexander E. Blair, 29, Topeka, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy. During a plea hearing, Blair admitted he conspired with co-defendant John T. Booker, Jr., 22, Topeka. Asked after he was arrested about the fact Booker’s plan called for America service members to die in the bombing, Blair said: “That’s what they signed (up) for.”
In March 2014, the FBI began an investigation into Booker, who called himself Mohammed Abdullah Hassan, concerning statements he made online indicating he wanted to wage jihad and to die in the process. Booker was arrested April 10, 2015, and charged with attempting to use a weapon of mass destruction and two other counts.
During the investigation of Booker, law enforcement officers learned that Blair shared some of Booker’s extremist views and loaned Booker money for the purpose of renting a storage unit that Booker used to store components for a bomb. Blair knew of Booker’s intent to detonate a bomb at Fort Riley and to “kill as many soldiers as possible.” Despite being convinced that Booker was serious about carrying out the plot, Blair chose not to report what he knew to the authorities.
Booker pleaded guilty to one count of attempted use of a weapon of mass destruction and one count of attempted destruction of government property. He is awaiting sentencing.
Beall commended the FBI Joint Terrorism Task Force, Assistant U.S. Attorneys Tony Mattivi and David Smith of the District of Kansas, and Trial Attorneys Josh Parecki and Rebecca Magnone of the National Security Division’s Counterterrorism Section for their work on the case.
Kansas City, Mo. Man Charged with Transporting Woman for ProstitutionRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Kansas City, Mo., man was charged in federal court for enticing an 18-year-old woman across state lines for prostitution, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Derrick D. Horne, 26, Kansas City, Mo., was charged with one count of enticing a person to cross state lines to engage in prostitution. A criminal complaint alleged the case grew out of an undercover operation by the Kansas City, Kan., Police Department and the FBI to target individuals who promote prostitution and to recover victims of human trafficking.
On Oct. 15, 2016, an undercover officer responded to an adult website advertisement and arranged to meet a sex worker and to pay for sex, starting at $150 for half an hour. When Horne dropped the sex worker off to meet the officer at a recreational vehicle parked behind a hotel at 1805 N. 110th Street in Kansas City, Kan., both he and the woman were arrested.
Investigators learned Horned had recruited the woman to be a prostitute, saying she could be his “lil business woman/escort” and she would “get money for doing nothing (the) majority of the time.” The first time Horne set up an appointment for the woman, the client paid $170. Horne got $80 and the woman got $90.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The Kansas City, Kansas Police Department, Kansas City, Missouri Police Department, Wyandotte County Sheriff’s Department, Overland Park, Kansas Police Department, and the FBI investigated.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Indictment: Salina Man Produced Child PornographyRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A federal grand jury returned an indictment here Tuesday charging a Salina man with producing and distributing child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Michael N. Rodenbeek, 53, Salina, Kan., is charged with three counts of producing child pornography, one count of distributing child pornography, one count of possessing child pornography, and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in June, July, August and September, 2016, in Saline and Sedgwick counties.
A complaint filed in the case alleges a Wichita police detective accessed a file sharing network to download child pornography from Rodenbeek’s computer. Investigators learned that on June 18, 2016, Rodenbeek used an iPhone to record a 9-year-old girl and on July 19, 2016, he used an iPhone to record a 10-year-old girl.
If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 15 years and not more than 30 years on each count of production, not less than five years and not more than 20 years on the distribution count, up to 20 years on the possession count, and up to 10 years on the firearm charge. The Wichita Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations and the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting.
OTHER GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS
Brett Nolan Cico, 31, St. Francis, Kan., is charged with two counts of producing child pornography and two counts of committing a felony involving a minor while registered as a sex offender.
The indictment alleges that on Jan. 15, 2016, he took pictures of a 14-year-old girl and a 14-year-old boy. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in Sherman County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 15 years and not more than 30 years on each count of production, and 10 years to be served consecutively on each of the other counts. Immigration and Customs Enforcement and Homeland Security Investigations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting.
Kevin Michael Hamill, 28, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crime is alleged to have occurred Sept. 3, 2016, in Kingman County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than five years and not more than 40 years in federal prison and a fine up to $2 million. The Kingman Police Department investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Rodebaugh is prosecuting.
James Ray Lawson, 54, Louisville, Ky., is charged with one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crime is alleged to have occurred Sept. 15, 2016, in Ellis County, Kan.,
If convicted, he faces a penalty of not less than 10 years and a fine up to $4 million on the methamphetamine count, and up to five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the marijuana count. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberley Rodebaugh is prosecuting.
Arturo Rodriguez-Martinez, 53, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Sept. 23, 2016, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a penalty up to two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
Jose Manuel Arriaga-Guillen, 24, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Sept. 27, 2016, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a penalty up to two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
Gabriel Lemus-Miranda, 36, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Aug. 18, 2016, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces a penalty up to two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations Investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Wichita Man Sentenced in Gas Station RobberiesRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Wichita man was sentenced Monday to six years in federal for robbing two Wichita gas stations, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Demon L. Anderson, 27, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to two counts of robbing a commercial establishment. In his plea, he admitted that on Dec. 4, 2015, he and a co-defendant robbed a Valero gas station at 248 S. Hillside in Wichita. They entered the store while the clerk was outside and began taking cash and cigarettes. When the clerk returned, the co-defendant pointed a .40 caliber handgun at the clerk and the defendants fled the store.
Later that same night, the defendants tried to rob a Petro America gas station at 2838 W. Central in Wichita. The defendants did not know that a police officer had set up surveillance on the store and called for backup when he saw the defendants enter. The defendants were arrested at the scene.
In July, co-defendant Roy E. Walls-Guiden of Wichita, Kan., was sentenced Tuesday to 188 months in federal prison.
Beall commended the Wichita Police Department, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.
Former Leavenworth Prison Guard Sentenced for Taking BribesRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A former guard at the U.S. Penitentiary in Leavenworth was sentenced to two years on probation Monday for taking bribes, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said. In addition, he was ordered to serve six months home confinement and pay $4,800 in fines.
Michael Harston, 53, Kansas City, Mo., pleaded guilty to one count of conspiracy to accept bribes and one count of accepting bribes. In his plea, he admitted accepting bribes to provide inmates with tobacco, which is contraband. Inmates coordinated with their families and friends outside prison to pay Harston. They paid Harston as much as $1,000 for one six-ounce can of Bugler loose tobacco.
Beall commended the FBI, the Justice Department’s Office of Inspector General Special, USP Leavenworth SIS and Assistant U.S. Attorney Leena Ramana for their work on the case.
Three Southwest Kansas Men Charged with Plotting to Bomb Somali ImmigrantsRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. -Three men from southwest Kansas were charged in federal court here today with conspiring to detonate a bomb at an apartment complex in Garden City where Muslim immigrants from Somalia live and worship, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
A criminal complaint unsealed today alleged the men conducted surveillance to size up potential targets, stockpiled firearms, ammunition and explosive components, and prepared a manifesto to be published after the bombing. The attack, the defendants said, would “wake people up.”
“These charges are based on eight months of investigation by the FBI that is alleged to have taken the investigators deep into a hidden culture of hatred and violence,” Beall said. “Many Kansans may find it as startling as I do that such things could happen here.”
Charged with one count of conspiring to use a weapon of mass destruction were:
Curtis Allen, 49, Liberal, Kan.
Gavin Wright, 49, Liberal, Kan., owner of G & H Mobile Home Center at 1250 E. Tucker Road in Liberal.
Patrick Eugene Stein, 47, Wright, Kan.
The complaint alleges that since February 2016 the FBI has been investigating the defendants’ activities planning a violent attack against Muslims in southwestern Kansas. A confidential source attended meetings of a militia group called the Kansas Security Force, providing the FBI with information about the groups’ activities.
The defendants were members of a small group they called the Crusaders. After considering possible targets including pro-Somali churches and public officials, the defendants decided to target an apartment complex in Garden City, Kan., where Somalis lived and maintain an apartment that served as a mosque. They discussed obtaining four vehicles, filling them with explosives and parking them at the four corners of the apartment complex to create a big explosion.
On Oct. 12, defendant Stein met with the confidential FBI source in rural Finney County to examine automatic weapons the source had brought from an FBI lab in Quantico, Va. After trying out two of the weapons, Stein took the source to see the apartment building the defendants were targeting in Garden City. Stein said he would provide ammonium nitrate for the bomb and contribute $200 to $300 for other materials.
Stein also talked with the source about defendant Allen’s arrest in a domestic violence case in Liberal the previous day, Oct. 11. Stein said he was concerned that Allen’s girlfriend would give Liberal police information about the defendants’ plans.
If convicted, the defendants face up to life in federal prison. Investigating agencies included the FBI, the Liberal Police Department, the Seward County Sheriff’s Office, the Ford County Sheriff’s Office, the Garden City Police Department, the Dodge City Police Department, the Finney County Sheriff’s Office, and Kansas Highway Patrol, and the Kansas Bureau of Investigation. Assistant U.S. Attorney Tony Mattivi is prosecuting
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The charges merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Mexican Citizen Pleads Guilty to Possessing Firearm Connected to HomicideRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. - A Mexican woman pleaded guilty Tuesday to unlawful possession of a firearm connected to a homicide case in Salina, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
The woman, Azucena Garcia-Ferniza, 22, a citizen of Mexico, pleaded guilty to one count of possession of a firearm while unlawfully in the United States. In her plea, she admitted that on May 7, 2015, she unlawfully possessed a Glock model 30 .45 caliber pistol. Her visitor’s visa had expired in February 1998.
In July 2016, Garcia-Ferniza was sentenced in Saline County District Court to18 months on probation for attempting to hide the gun that killed 17-year-old Allie Saum. The gun belonged to her boyfriend, Macio D. Palicio, Jr. Saum was killed by gunfire when Palicio fired at a pickup he mistakenly believed was driven by rival gang members.
Palicio was convicted in Saline County District Court and sentenced to more than 50 years for the killing.
Garcia-Ferniza’s sentencing is set for Jan. 4. She has been in custody since August 2015.
Beall commended Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations and Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson for their work on the case.
U.S. Attorney Urges Police Officers to Reach Out to CommunitiesRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. - Law enforcement alone can’t solve all the crime problems in our communities, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said Wednesday at a statewide meeting of police officers.
“We need to reach out to community leaders, property owners, churches, private businesses and schools – to anyone who is willing to work with us to make the community safer,” he said.
Beall spoke before more than 100 officers at the Kansas Peace Officers Association’s fall conference in Wichita. He urged them to join with the Justice Department and law enforcement agencies nationwide in observing Community Policing Week.
“We need to build our public safety efforts on a foundation of mutual trust and respect between police officers and the communities they serve,” he said.
Beall praised Wichita Police Chief Gordon Ramsay for working to build community ties by inviting protesters to join police officers for a cookout in the park. He also cited the Kansas Law Enforcement Training Center’s courses for officers on fair and impartial policing.
Beall had a personal message for officers, too.
“To all of you who continue to risk your lives day in and day out to keep us safe and protect our freedoms, thank you,” he said. “You have one of the hardest jobs in the world.”
U.S. Attorney Announces Community Policing Grants in KansasRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. - Police departments in Wichita and Shawnee, Kan., have been chosen to receive Justice Department grants to pay for community policing officers, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said Monday.
The Wichita Police Department will receive $875,000 and the Shawnee Police Department will receive $625,000. The grants are part of $119 million the Justice Department’s Office of Community Policing Services is distributing nationally to 184 law enforcement agencies to create new -- or sustain existing --community policing positions.
“Kansas is a leader in the drive to build trust between law enforcement officers and the communities they serve,” Beall said. “These funds will help us keep it that way.”
The announcement comes during the national observance of Community Policing Week. Community policing is a public safety philosophy based on partnership and cooperation between law enforcement and the communities they are sworn to protect and serve. For more information see www.cops.usdoj.gov or read the 21st Century Policing Task Force Report at http://www.cops.usdoj.gov/pdf/taskforce/taskforce_finalreport.pdf
Beall will address community policing at 1 p.m. Wednesday when he speaks at the Kansas Peace Officers Association’s conference at the Doubletree by Hilton Airport, 2098 Airport Road in Wichita.
Indictment: Attack by Hospital Worker Injured Two Women at Fort LeavenworthRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A federal grand jury Wednesday indicted a civilian hospital employee on charges of attacking and injuring two women, one who he set on fire and the other who he attacked when she tried to help the victim, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Clifford Currie, 54, Leavenworth, Kan., is charged with one count of assault with intent to commit murder and one count of assault with a dangerous weapon.
A criminal complaint filed Sept. 8 in the case alleged that Currie threw gasoline or some other inflammable liquid on his supervisor, Katie Ann Blanchard, lit her on fire and assaulted her with a straight edge razor and scissors. Co-worker Deanne Killian came to the Blanchard’s aid when she heard screams and saw Blanchard on fire from the chest up. Killian was injured trying to put out the fire and stop Currie from continuing the assault on the Blanchard.
Currie was subdued by hospital employees and then arrested.
If convicted, he faces a penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on the attempted murder count, and up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the other count. The FBI and the U.S. Army Military Police investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Flannigan is prosecuting.
Other Indictments
Juan R. Torres-Arambula, 26, Louisburg, Kan., is charged with one count of failing to appear at the Correctional Institution Great Plains in Hinton, Okla., to serve a 16-month prison sentence.
If convicted, he faces an additional two years and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Marshal Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Terra Morehead is prosecuting.
Jamie Lee Roberts, 34, who is in custody, is charged with one count of unlawful possession of a firearm following a felony conviction. The crime is alleged to have occurred Sept. 21, 2016, in Shawnee County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000. The Topeka Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives and the FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jared Maag is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Former Mayor of Lawrence Pleads Guilty to Transporting Stolen FundsRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. - A former mayor of Lawrence admitted Wednesday that he embezzled thousands of dollars from a food bank in Douglas County, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Jeremy James Farmer, 33, Lawrence, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of interstate transportation of stolen funds. Farmer admitted the crimes took place while he was executive director of Just Food, a food bank in Douglas County. Just Food serves more than 40 partner agencies with frozen meat and fresh produce as well as bread and food donated from community drives. The organization and its partners play a key role in fighting hunger in Douglas County.
From 2013 until Farmer resiged from Just Food and from his position as mayor of Lawrence in August 2015 he used his access to Just Foods’ bank accounts and accounting systems to steal more than $5,000 from the organization.
Sentencing will be set at a later date. He faces a penalty of up to 10 years in federal prison, a fine up to $250,000 and restitution to be determined by the judge. Beall commended the FBI, the Internal Revenue Service – Criminal Investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Rich Hathaway for their work on the case.
Acting U.S. Attorney: No Overstatement to Call Opioids and Heroin a National EpidemicRead the Press Release
If you do not have a family member, friend or co-worker who suffers from a prescription opioid or heroin addiction problem, consider yourself lucky. A growing number of your fellow Kansans, on the other hand, are feeling the painful effects of America’s newest and most frightening drug epidemic.
The National Heroin Task Force’s Final Report published in December 2015 outlined the problems that law enforcement officers and public health workers in Kansas and across the nation are facing every day:
-- More than 1.9 million people in America had a prescription opioid use disorder in 2014, and nearly 600,000 had a heroin use disorder.
-- More than 27,000 overdose deaths in this country in 2014 involved prescription opioid medications or heroin. That is one death every 20 minutes.
-- Heroin is more accessible and less costly than prescription opioids. In fact, nearly 80 percent of new heroin users reported that they started through the nonmedical misuse of prescription opioid pain medicines.
-- The United States leads the world in the consumption of prescription opioid medications.
The U.S. Attorney’s Office for the District of Kansas is prioritizing prosecution of drug traffickers who deal in heroin, especially those who can be tied to fatal drug overdoses. High purity heroin presents a deadly threat of overdose to young people and individuals suffering from chronic pain. In Kansas, we have seen heroin packaged as “buttons” made of heroin whipped with lactose that caused massive overdoses immediately after ingestion. Our office has prosecuted cases involving overdose deaths of adults and teenage victims in Wyandotte, Johnson and Leavenworth counties. We are working with the Kansas Narcotics Officers Association and other organizations to educate law enforcement officers about the heroin and opioid epidemic.
We are prosecuting criminal pill mill operators, too. Two dozen defendants went to federal prison last year, for instance, when our office prosecuted a Lenexa doctor who unlawfully prescribed prescription pain medicines to a network of users and distributors on the streets of metropolitan Kansas City. Such prosecutions are aimed not only at taking specific offenders off the streets but also at sending a message that will deter others from doing the same.
Tough law enforcement alone, however, will not make this problem go away. The opioid crisis is fundamentally a public health problem. We all need to work together, including law enforcement, public health officials and medical professionals, youth leaders, parents, faith-based organizations, social service providers and educational institutions. Our goals should include slowing the flow of opioids into the community, reducing the number of overdose deaths, educating young people on the dangers of nonmedical opioid use, increasing access to treatment and recovery services and educating practitioners on safe and appropriate prescribing.
We have done some good things in Kansas already. K-TRACS, the state’s prescription monitoring system, is providing physicians and pharmacists with valuable information to help them manage their patients who are prescribed controlled substances. Drug Take Back Day events allowing consumers to safely dispose of prescription medications that might otherwise be diverted onto the streets are catching on in communities across the state. We need to build on those initiatives. Kansas should continue to be a leader in the nation’s fight against heroin and opioid abuse.
Tom Beall is the Acting U.S. Attorney for the District of Kansas.
Miami County Man Charged with Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A Miami County man was charged in federal court Tuesday with robbing a bank in Overland Park, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Paul A Sundquist, 29, Louisburg, Kan., is charged with a Sept. 19, 2016, robbery at the Stanley Bank, 7835 W.151st in Overland Park, Kan. A criminal complaint alleges Sundquist showed a clerk a note demanding money before receiving the cash and fleeing the bank. A bystander got a partial tag number on Sundquist’s pickup truck. Sundquist was monitoring police radio traffic on his cell phone. When he heard police had his tag number he called 911 and surrendered.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison. The FBI and the Overland Park Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Terra Morehead is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Indictment: Tribal Fire Chief Set Grass Fires Department Was Paid to FightRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. - The former chief of the Kickapoo Tribal Volunteer Fire Department was indicted Wednesday on federal charges of setting fires the tribe was paid to fight, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said. Also indicted was a former volunteer firefighter.
Stephen D. Ramirez, 26, Horton, Kan., former chief, and Arlene M. Negonsott, 34, Horton, Kan., are charged with four counts of wire fraud. The indictment alleges Ramirez recruited Negonsott, a volunteer firefighter, to set fires on the Kickapoo Reservation from July to November 2015 that the Kickapoo fire department was called to fight.
The Kickapoo Tribe in Kansas contracted with the Bureau of Indian Affairs to provide fire suppression services on the reservation. The contract called for the bureau to pay the tribe $600 for each fire it fought. The indictment alleges the defendants set six fires on the reservation.
If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The U.S. Department of Interior – Office of Inspector General, the Kickapoo Tribal Police and the FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Wichita Massage Parlor Owner Pleads Guilty in Sex Trafficking CaseRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – The owner of a Wichita massage parlor pleaded guilty Monday in federal court to harboring a Chinese woman who worked as a prostitute, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Samir F. Elias, 60, Wichita, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of harboring an alien for financial gain and one count of importation of an alien for prostitution. In his plea, he admitted the crimes occurred while he was the owner of GiGi’s Elite Massage, which operated at 357 N. Hillside in Wichita after moving from a previous location at 6611 E. Central.
Elias employed a Chinese woman with the initials F.Y. He was aware that the woman, who was not lawfully in the United States, engaged in the sale of sexual relations at the massage parlor. He personally reviewed online forums discussing the sale of sexual relations at his business. He harbored her at his residence near Maple and 119th West in Wichita, driving her to work and home again. He collected money from her he knew to be the proceeds of prostitution.
An undercover vice detective with the Wichita Police Department arrested the woman after she offered to perform sexual services during a massage.
Sentencing is set for Dec. 12. Both parties have agreed to recommend a sentence of time served followed by two years of supervised release.
Beall commended the Wichita Police Department, Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) and Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart for their work on the case.
Indictment: Accounting Technician Embezzled Kickapoo Tribal FundsRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A former accounting technician for the Kickapoo Tribe of Kansas was indicted Tuesday on a federal charge of embezzling tribal funds, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said today.
Heath A. Hopkins, 45, Horton, Kan., is charged with one count of theft from an Indian tribal organization. The indictment alleges that while working for the Kickapoo Tribe Housing Authority Hopkins wrote unauthorized checks to himself on the tribe’s checking account.
If convicted, he faces up to five years in federal prison. The FBI investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Alan Metzger is prosecuting.
OTHER GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS
Mykell A. Mannie, 20, Wichita, Kan., and Tessa M. Smith, 21, Wichita, Kan., are charged with distribution of heroin (count one), possession of heroin with intent to distribute (count five), and unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of a drug trafficking crime (count six). In addition, Mannie is charged with distribution of heroin (counts two and three), and carrying a firearm in relation to drug trafficking (count four). The crimes are alleged to have occurred in May 2016 in Wichita, Kan.
Upon convictions, the crimes carry the following penalties:
Counts 1, 2, 3, 5: Not less than 10 years and a dine up to $10 million.
Counts 4 and 6: Not less than five years and a fine up to $250,000.
The Wichita Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is prosecuting.
Richard A. Lara, 47, Wichita, Kan., is charged with five counts of bank fraud and 12 counts of misapplication of bank funds. The crimes are alleged to have occurred from 2009 to 2014 in Sumner County, Kan., while Lara was an employee of Security State Bank of Wellington.
The indictment alleges Lara received unemployment benefits to which he was not entitled.
If convicted, he faces up to 30 years and a fine up to $1 million on each of the counts. The FBI investigated. Assistant U./S. Attorney Welch is prosecuting.
Kortea Gullick, 33, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of unlawful possession of ammunition following a felony conviction, and one count of possession with intent to distribute marijuana. The crimes are alleged to have occurred Aug. 19, 2016, in Sedgwick County, Kan.
If convicted he faces up to 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the firearm charge, and up to five years and a fine up to $250,000 on the other count. The FBI Safe Streets Task Force investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch is investigating.
Shawn Eugene Dodson, 28, Grand Island, Neb., is charged with possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine. The crime is alleged to have occurred Aug. 12, 2016, in Wichita, Kan.,
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years a fine up to $1 million. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Rodebaugh is prosecuting.
Sabino Hernandez, Jr., 26. Paramount, Calif., is charged with possession with intent to distribute cocaine. The crime is alleged to have occurred Sept. 12, 2016, in Ellis County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces not less than 10 years and a fine up to $4 million. The Drug Enforcement Administration investigated. Special Assistant U.S. Attorney Kimberly Rodebaugh is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Newton Woman Pleads Guilty to Concealing Gun Crime Prior to Hesston ShootingsRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. – A Newton woman pleaded guilty Thursday to concealing from authorities that a convicted felon unlawfully possessed firearms that he later used in a shooting incident at Excel Industries, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Sarah T. Hopkins, 28, Newton, Kan., pleaded guilty to failing to report to authorities that convicted felon Cedric Ford unlawfully possessed a firearm.
In her plea, Hopkins admitted that on Feb. 5, 2016, she redeemed an AK-47 rifle from a pawn shop in Newton and gave it to Ford. On Feb 25, 2016, investigators recovered the rifle and a handgun at Excel Industries in Newton where Ford shot three people to death before being killed in a shootout with police.
Sentencing is set for Nov. 28. Hopkins faces up to three years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Beall commended the following agencies: The Hesston Police Department, the Harvey County Sheriff’s Department, the Newton Police Department, the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives, the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and the FBI, as well as Assistant U.S. Attorney Lanny Welch and Assistant U.S. Attorney David Lind for their work on the case.
Indictment: Argument with Wife Drove Man to Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A Kansas City, Kan., man who told investigators he preferred jail to living with his wife was indicted Thursday on a federal bank robbery charge, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Lawrence John Ripple, 70, Kansas City, Kan., was indicted on one count of bank robbery. A criminal complaint filed earlier in the case alleged that on Sept. 2, 2016, Ripple sat down in the lobby and waited for police after robbing the Bank of Labor at 756 Minnesota Ave. in Kansas City, Kan. He told investigators that after an argument with his wife he felt he would rather be in prison than go back home.
If convicted, he faces up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI Investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Catania is prosecuting.
OTHER GRAND JURY INDICTMENTS
Elizabeth Watson, 48, is charged with escaping from federal custody at the Heartland Center for Behavioral Change.
If convicted, she faces a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Marshals Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Terra Morehead is prosecuting.
Gabriel Lemus-Miranda, 36, a citizen of Mexico, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Aug.18, 2016, in Rush county, Kan.
If convicted, he faces up to two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
Jose Francisco Cisneros-Orellana, 46, a citizen of Guatemala, is charged with unlawfully re-entering the United States after being deported. He was found Aug.18, 2016, in Cowley County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces up to two years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. Immigration and Customs Enforcement’s Enforcement and Removal Operations investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Brent Anderson is prosecuting.
Mark Collier, 34, is charged with escaping from federal custody at the Grossman Community Correction Center in Leavenworth, Kan. The crime is alleged to have occurred Aug. 13, 2016.
If convicted, he faces a maximum penalty of five years and a fine up to $250,000. The U.S. Marshals Service investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble is prosecuting.
Gerald Armstrong, 67, Olathe, Kan, is charged with making a false statement on an application for a passport. The crime is alleged to have occurred June 9, 2007, in Johnson County, Kan.
If convicted, he faces up to 10 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The State Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jabari Wamble is prosecuting.
Debbie Jones, 60, Kansas City, Mo., is charged with one count of delaying the delivery of mail that was entrusted to her as a postal service employee, and count of stealing mail. The crimes are alleged to have occurred in July and September 2015 in Wyandotte County, Kan.
If convicted, she up to five years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000 on each count. The U.S. Postal Service Investigated. Assistant U. S. Attorney Jabari Wamble is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Hospital Worker Charged with Attack at Fort LeavenworthRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. – A civilian hospital employee was charged Thursday with setting a woman on fire on Fort Leavenworth in an effort to kill her, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Clifford Currie, 54, Leavenworth, Kan., was charged with one count of assault with intent to commit murder. A criminal complaint filed in U.S. District Court in Kansas City, Kan., alleged that Currie threw gasoline or some other inflammable liquid on his female supervisor, lit on her fire and assaulted her with a straight edge razor. Another hospital worker came to the victim’s aid when she heard screams and saw the victim on fire from the chest up. That woman was injured trying to stop Currie from continuing the assault on the victim. Currie was subdued by hospital employees and then arrested.
If convicted, he faces a penalty of 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI and the U.S. Army Military Police investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Flannigan is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Lawrence Man Sentenced for Distributing Child PornographyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - A Lawrence man was sentenced Tuesday to 70 months in federal prison for distributing child pornography, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Tyler Padden, 35, Lawrence, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of distributing child pornography. At sentencing, prosecutors said Padden had four computers containing 2,000 images and 800 videos of child pornography. He installed seven file sharing programs on his computer, allowing him to search for child porn and allowing other users to download images from his collection of child pornography.
The investigation began when a detective with the Overland Park Police Department used the Internet to download child pornography from Padden’s computer.
Beall commended the Overland Park Police Department, the FBI and Assistant U.S. Attorney Kim Flannigan for their work on the case.
Former Trucking Company Owner Sentenced for Federal Tax EvasionRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – The former owner of a trucking company in Kansas City, Kan., was sentenced Tuesday to 33 months in federal prison for evading federal income taxes, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said. He was ordered to pay $939,408 in restitution.
Clifford C. Copp, 47, Overland Park, Kan., who owned Copp Trucking Co. in Kansas City, Kan., pleaded guilty to one count of tax evasion. In his plea, he admitted he filed reports to the Internal Revenue Service in 2001 indicating the company owed approximately $939,408 in employment taxes for that year. However, the company did not pay the employment taxes due.
In February 2004 Copp was assessed trust fund recovery penalties of $669,037. When the IRS began collection efforts he concealed income. He filed a false statement to the IRS concealing his ownership interest in assets including livestock, life insurance and farm equipment. He also formed Wildcat Limo, LLC, and concealed his ownership interest in the company.
Beall commended the Internal Revenue Service and Assistant U.S. Attorney Chris Oakley for their work on the case.
Two Men Charged in Leawood Bank RobberyRead the Press Release
KANSAS CITY, KAN. - Two men were charged in U.S. District Court here Thursday with robbing a Leawood bank, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Terry Lovelady, 57, Kansas City, Mo., and Chad English, 42, Kansas City, Mo., were charged with one count of bank robbery. A criminal complaint alleges that on Aug. 24, 2016, Lovelady robbed the Central Bank of the Midwest at 4801 Town Center Drive in Leawood and fled in a getaway car driven by English. The robbers led police on a high speed chase, running red lights and cutting off other drivers. Eventually, the getaway car jumped a curb, rolled down a hill and came to a stop in a parking lot at St. Joseph Medical Center. The robbers fled the car on foot and were soon arrested.
If convicted, the defendants face up to 20 years in federal prison and a fine up to $250,000. The FBI and the Leawood Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Leon Patton is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Wichita Man Charged in Federal Court with Kidnapping St. Louis TeenRead the Press Release
WICHITA, KAN. - A Wichita man was charged Wednesday in U.S. District Court in Wichita with kidnapping a teenage girl from St. Louis, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Johnny Angel Vallejo, 49, Wichita, Kan., is charged with one count of kidnapping a minor born in 1999, and one count of transporting a minor across state lines to engage in sexual activities.
An affidavit filed in the case alleges the investigation began Aug. 19 when the Kansas Highway Patrol was notified that a teenager had been taken from the St. Louis area and the kidnapper was traveling south on the Kansas Turnpike. Investigators tracked the teenager’s phone to Wichita. They interviewed Vallejo at his residence in the 1200 block of South Washington, but did not find the teenager.
Later, the KHP responded to a call about a distraught teenager. They found the victim at the Bionic Burger restaurant at 3257 E. Harry. They learned Vallejo had first contacted the teenager on Facebook and had traveled to St. Louis to visit the teenager. On Aug. 19, Vallejo picked up the teenager at school. Vallejo made threats and forced the teenager to accompany him to Kansas.
If convicted, Vallejo faces up to life in federal prison on the kidnapping charge, and not less than 10 years and a fine up to $250,000 on the transportation charge. The Kansas Highway Patrol and the Wichita Police Department investigated. Assistant U.S. Attorney Jason Hart is prosecuting.
In all cases, defendants are presumed innocent until and unless proven guilty. The indictments merely contain allegations of criminal conduct.
Topeka Man Sentenced to 35 Years for Drug TraffickingRead the Press Release
TOPEKA, KAN. – A Topeka man was sentenced Thursday to 35 years in federal prison for drug trafficking, Acting U.S. Attorney Tom Beall said.
Faustino Soto, 43, Topeka, Kan., was convicted on one count of conspiracy to distribute methamphetamine, one count of possession with intent to distribute methamphetamine, one count of unlawful possession of a firearm in furtherance of drug trafficking and one count of unlawful possession of a firearm by a user of controlled substances.
Prosecutors told the court that during an investigation that began in the fall of 2013 Soto was identified as a multi-pound supplier of methamphetamine to a trafficking organization that was operating in Franklin, Shawnee, Anderson, and Douglas counties in Kansas. When investigators served a search warrant at Soto’s residence in the 100 block of SE Rice Road in Topeka they recovered methamphetamine, firearms, and more than $17,000 in cash.
In sentencing Soto, the judge took into account evidence that Soto obstructed justice by intimidating three witnesses prior to trial.
Beall commended the Kansas Bureau of Investigation and Assistant U.S. Attorney Sheri Catania for their work on the case.